


Of Promises not Kept

by KizaKurosaki15



Series: Turk Testing Series [8]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Broken Promises, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25139650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KizaKurosaki15/pseuds/KizaKurosaki15
Summary: This would be the first and last promise Zack would not be able to keep.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Reno
Series: Turk Testing Series [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704154
Kudos: 11





	Of Promises not Kept

Zack had known about how dangerous it was for Mako to be injected into any person, SOLDIER or not. He also knew that the chances of Mako Poisoning happening was also a risk that anyone could end up suffering from. While it was rare for SOLDIERs to fall to Mako Poisoning, as they received the proper training for it, the same could not be said for the Turks who had been alive during the T.T. Project. Zack had heard whispers and rumors that the first ones to die had been from Mako Poisoning itself. As time passed and one by one they started to die off, Zack became increasingly worried that Reno himself would also end up with Mako Poisoning. After all, the more promise he showed, the higher the dosage became. For a while he stayed worried but eventually started to relax thanks to the constant reassurances from his redheaded lover. 

Those reassurances were throw out the window however when coming back from a mission in Wutai, when he inquired as to where Reno was, he was informed by Tseng himself that he was in medical, recovering from a case of Mako Poisoning. Zack didnt bother waiting for the rest of that explanation, he find care if he was covered in bruises, cuts, muck and grime. All he needed to know at that time, all he cared about then was Reno. He had to see him, he had to make sure the other was going to be fine. Reno was stubborn, he was hard to kill and take down, that much Zack knew. When he had reached the medical floors he was shocked that he was allowed to even go in and see the Turk. When he had finally arrived he found himself a bit shocked to see the redhead slightly aware of what was going on around him. It wasn't much, but his condition didnt seem as bad as he thought it would be. 

It would be Tseng who, when he finally caught up to Zack, explained to him that the Poisoning had hit the night Zack left for his mission. And despite how he seemed now, those first few days he had been far worse. Seizures, fever, inability to even breath on his own. It had been touch and go for a while. There wasnt a cure for Mako Poisoning, only the ability to treat the symptoms and make it a tad bit easier on the person suffering from it. But otherwise, the person had to pull through it on their own. He hated seeing his normally up and about partner so...so out of it. Zack refused to leave his side after that for the remainder of that week. When he was finally allowed to take him home, Zack wasted no time in filling out the paperwork and taking him away. That was about two days ago, now he found himself laying beside the Turk, fingers running through the man's growing hair. 

Compared to several days before, Reno was doing so much better. He was eating a little bit more, sleeping more peacefully, he was even growing more and more lucid. While Zack still hated that his significant other was even in this situation, at least he was recovering slowly. For now, the man watched his lover fast asleep, curled against his side. Today was one of the better days, Zack would admit. They managed to hold a conversation for about an hour and a half before Reno felt himself grow tired. Which was fine by him, the SOLDIER didnt mind. What startled the dark haired man was the sound of his phone buzzing. With a heavy sigh he blindly reached into his pocket, pulling the phone out and holding it to his ear. 

_"How is he doing?"_

Ah, okay so it was Tseng who was calling. While he should have checked to see who was calling him, Zack didnt want to move his gaze from the slimmer man's sleeping form. "He's okay. Asleep now. Ate some of that soup you sent over and even some fruit. We talked for about an hour and a half. So better. Not completely okay. But so much better." He admitted, his tone low and soft as not to wake the sleeping man pressed into his side. Not that he thought he would actually wake him up, the man seemed to be in a deep sleep. Peacefull, but deep. "How's Rude? I know he was pretty worried and stressed when he cant stop by to come see him." There was a soft, breathy chuckle from the other man on the other end of the phone. 

_"He is fine. I'm trying to keep him as busy as I can. I'll let you get back to him."_

"Okay, night Tseng." It was a simple and quick goodbye. Which was fine, Tseng was always always a busy man and it didnt seem like that was something that was going to stop being true anytime soon. Snapping his phone shut and tossing it onto the nightstand the man, sighed, his gaze for a moment moved to stare at the dark ceiling above him. How much more of the injections could Reno take before he too met the same fate as the other Turks who had been picked for the project? Zack wasnt sure he would ever be able to forgive Shinra if Reno died at their hands because of a project they had no idea would even work. The SOLDIER would be lying if he said that he didnt feel like just taking the Turk with him and leaving in the dead of night. Especially right now, Zack sighed heavily, turning to lay on his side and pulling the shorter man close to his chest. One arm wrapped around his waist, his free hand resting on the back of Reno's head.

"Your squeezing too hard-"

The man nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Reno's sleep slurred voice. He did however loosen his grip around the turquoise eyed man. With his hand the larger man smoothed down the red colored hair. "Sorry, did I wake you?" He asked, he hoped that wasnt the case, Reno needed the rest, needed as much of it as he could get. He felt the man shake his head, so the guilt he had been feeling settled. "Go back to sleep-"

"I'll be okay, you know." Reno cut in, his eyes still closed and body relaxed in Zack's hold. "Your worried, probably thinking of doing something that can get you And I both killed. I dont blame you, I wanna runaway too...but its gonna take more then a few Mako injections to kill me." While Zack wanted to believe his words, while he oh so wanted to have that much faith, he knew better. Mako was deadly, the fact they didnt have a cure for Mako Poisoning and could only manage the symptoms was insight into that fact. But Reno seemed confident, he seemed to be determined to not let the injections get the better of him. "After your mission in Nibelheim, we can pack our shit and leave. In the dead of night....promise me you'll wait until then."

His tone held no room for argument, it was a soft plea for Zack to agree with him, to promise him. And how could he not accept or make that promise? They were finally going to leave to that island paradise the redhead kept as a closely guarded secret. The place where they would both start a new life with one another. Zack found himself smiling like a fool, squeezing his lover gently and kissing the top of his head. "I promise. When I come back, I'll spend the day with you and only you. Spoiling you rotten. Then at night we can leave a note for Rude and Tseng. We wont say where we're going, but a goodbye letter. We'll leave, steal a motorbike. Head to Costa Del Sol and take a boat to the paradise you always tell me about." Zack relished in the soft, sleepy laugh he got from the Turk. And when he pulled back, those Turquoise colored eyes were now open and staring up at him tenderly, albeit sleepily. "Sleep now." 

"Yeah, yeah...you sleep too." 

And he did, he slept peacefully that night and for the next several nights until he found himself departing for Nibelheim, the day of his departure he said his usual goodbye to his redhead lover while also reminding him of his promise. 

However, it would be the first and last promise Zack would ever make to the redhead that he would never get to keep or fulfill.


End file.
